He brought a box full of jewelry, including his mother's gold Elgin watch.

Argen Dodds of Lincoln was there to buy.

He brought a lot of cash and a testing kit to determine what metals were silver and gold, not imitations.

They sorted out the wheat from the chaff and ended up with a pile of costume jewelry that did not interest Dodds. He works for the Collector's Road Show, a gold buying business located in Lincoln, near Springfield. But the watch, the gold watch, caught Dodds eye and he offered Sanders $50 for it.

Sanders stroked his chin, tried to get the offer up a few notches and then declined.

"It has too much sentimental value," he said.

"I gave the best offer I could," said Dodds.

And so it went Tuesday at the Harrisburg American Legion Hall at 600 E. Logan St.

Offers were made and accepted. Offers were declined.

The Collector's Roadshow is in town to buy and local residents are showing up to sell.

Items such as silverware, jewelry, collectible coins and paper money were placed on the felt covered tabletop. Photos of silver certificates — paper money — were e-mailed. Phone calls were made, buyers were queried and sellers waited patiently for offers. Sometimes Dodds made the offer, sometimes a buyer in a distant location made an offer by cell phone. Money and goods changed hands all day.

"I just sort of grew up around this business since its family owned," said Dodds. His partner, Barbara Wright, has been buying gold for six years; he has been working as a buyer for a similar period.

Rusty Hopkins, Elizabethtown, solicited offers for a friend, for his father and for himself. He had coins and paper money. Dodds offered him $126.50 for a selection of items and Hopkins accepted for his dad and himself, but had to decline for his friend who could not be reached by cell phone at the time.

The Collector's Roadshow will be doing business today until 5 p.m. at the American Legion Hall.